Martin-Schaefer Thanksgiving Day 2- SEATTLE!

Going into Seattle was such a great time. I've always dreamed of seeing the Pike's Place Market and going to the very first Starbucks (really the Starbucks part was a monumental experience). It was amazing to see the men in the fish market throw the fish...etc. There was so much to see and do! I also saw the restaurant where Tom Hanks filmed a scene from Sleepless in Seattle :)

After our time in Seattle we all headed to the great IKEA!! Where we dreamed and found a lot of things we "needed" to buy. It's amazing how much you suddenly realize you "need" when you're in a store like IKEA. After our excursion to the city we met up with our friends Sara and Scott Gause for a great dinner. Can't complain at all about this trip...except that we're missing all of the snow Colorado Springs is getting. I'm sad about that. Overall, our time here in Tacoma has been wonderful and we love spending time with the Schaefers.

Martin-Schaefer Thanksgiving Day 1

James and I arrived in Seattle/Tacoma, Washington late Thursday night to a smiling and very welcoming friend, Cameron Schaefer. It has been such a great time reconnecting and catching up with the Schaefer's at our 2nd annual Thanksgiving Celebration. Their sweet baby Malone has grown considerably since we last saw her and she is such a delight. 

Yesterday we had Thanksgiving dinner and once again Marelize surpassed our expectations with nothing less than a feast. We had awesome turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing and green bean casserole. Followed later by great conversations, naps and pies for dessert. It has been a refreshing and relaxing time here with the Schaefers and we are sooo thankful for great friends. 

We're heading in to explore Seattle and experience the city life there. I'm so excited because I've never been to Seattle and have always wanted to go. One of my all time favorite movies is Sleepless in Seattle. I love it when Annie goes and watches Sam play with Jonah on the beach...with a wink and a smile :)

Happy Halloween

Holidays just aren't the same when you become an adult. I woke up today and it seemed like any other normal day, but then I realized that it's actually Halloween. The fact that it took me time to realize it was a holiday was the first sign to me that I am officially an adult. When I was a kid I loved Halloween with all of the candy, pumpkin carving, dressing up in a costume and trick-or-treating. It was so much fun to see how much candy I ended up getting. Oh and what fun it was to become someone or something else for a night! I'm looking forward to the day when James and I have kids so that holidays will acquire the same old fun and kid like excitement again. We'll have little ones to celebrate with...I guaranteed our kids won't let us "realize" it's a holiday.

I remember some of the characters/things I dressed up as for costumes throughout my childhood. Here they are...enjoy!

1. My Little Pony (I had one of those plastic suits that my parents got me from Rite Aid and it fell apart in my kindergarten class so my teacher made me wear a makeshift costume out of paper bags.)
2. MAC Machine (Yes that's right. A "Money Access Center" machine...my parents made it out of a box that I put over my head. 5th grade.)
3. Blonde Joke Book (I pasted sheets of paper with blonde jokes written on them to a box and wore the box. Yes that's right. I wore the box with blonde jokes on them...don't ask)
4. Union City Cheerleader (I remember going to our church for a gathering of parents that would line the wall and hand out candy as all of us kids went by and went "trick or treating". The Christian version of Halloween. Anyways...I was a little cheerleader.)
5. Union City Homecoming Queen (My senior year I was homecoming queen for my high school. That year I dressed up as a terrible looking homecoming queen and went trick or treating with Chewy. Classy I'm sure.)
6. Eastern University Soccer Player (My junior year of college I was a EU soccer player. Boring.)
7. Goth Girl (My sophomore year in college Scott Craig and I dressed up as goth people. That was the night I was introduced to Chai Tea at the Gryphon Cafe....life changing.)

8. Bear (When I was in elementary school I was a big bear. I loved that costume...my mom made it for me. Probably my favorite.)



Ok I'll spare all of you, my faithful readers, with more details. I hope you all enjoy this holiday however you decide to celebrate! Trick-or Treat!!